Information: Witches

[Danielle Vida]

Information: Witches

This post is intended to give potential and current players a basic rundown of both Macht Witches and Tristes. Everything in this thread is what she has given us in her books, on one of her sites (http://www.nyeusigrube.com/ and tdos.org - which unfortunately doesn't exist anymore, don't try going there), or on one of her message boards (http://nyeusigrube.com/phpBB2/index.php, http://denofsha.proboards62.com/, and http://nyeusigrube.com/phpBB3/index.php). Most was taken from the World Essays on tdos.org, and much of it has been paraphrased for more clarity though some of it is verbatim.

If players should have any more questions, they are free to PM a staff member of Night's Omen to help them.

Each post regarding each separate Macht Witch lines will be divided as follows:

• Basic History
  Traits
  Social Relations
  Notables
   
• Canon
    Non-Canon

Link Map

• Macht Witches
  • Basic Information
    Vida
    Smoke
    Light
    Arun
    Queitch
    Marinitch
  Triste Witches
  • Basic Information/Notables
    Training and Initiation
    The Decigram
    Triste Weapons

[Danielle Vida]

Basic Information: Macht Witches

• A Macht witch is one of the descendants of Vida's three daughters and their initiates. There have been six major lines of Macht witches: Vida, Smoke, Light, Arun, Queitch and Marinitch. Vida, the first Macht witch, was the daughter of Macht and a human man. They are mortal, and are born, live, breed, and die like humans.

- - -

Notice:

• In order to play a Witch whose lineage crosses more than one bloodline (Vida/Arun for example) you MUST gain the permission of the staff first. Simply reading their history and traits will show you that most of the lines are very different, and a mix between them is very unlikely. If you want to play a Witch, that is fine, but it is suggested that you contact a member of the staff for information before submitting your application. It would also be also nearly impossible for there to be any Vida/Smoke crosses. Seriously, if you read the information, just... no.
  
  Remember, folks, witches are very rare (having most of the family be active vampire hunters does not do wonders for the lifespan), and as such, great care is taken in consideration of their applications, as they are all fairly important to the basic plot of Night's Omen.

[Danielle Vida]

Vida

• History
  • The Vida line came to exist in about 30,000 BCE, at the birth of Vida herself. This time was a pivot point in Nyeusi history as well, as it was then that the higher Nyeusi gained their powers. The basics of the story as follows is simple: Vida's father was the village 'mystic man', and Vida's older half-sister stood to inherit his position, but instead dallied long enough for Vida (who was listening to her lover, Aric) to make a move for the spot. Kalika was run off into the desert and picked up later on by Siete, who was pretty curious about a girl who was hated by the first children of Macht and Triste.
    
    Kalika came back after some time had passed, argued with, and finally killed Vida. What she didn't bank on was that Vida's daughters saw the entire thing - this is pretty much where it all started. The daughters swore their hatred for demons, which they considered Kalika (and Aric since he took off after her). They began training themselves, their bodies, minds, and magic, and in turn, trained other humans as well, binding them in blood-oaths and sharing the magic they had gained from Macht. They became both guardians and leaders of their people at that time; protectors against both supernatural and natural.
• 
  Traits
  • Aside from a tendency to be blonde (such as Dominique, Sarah, and Adianna), Vida Witches all share other traits. Their magic is focused mainly on attacking and destroying; a Vida Witch has no healing magic. Vida Witches cannot be bloodbonded; they will be destroyed from the inside out with their own inherent power as it tries to counteract the vampiric blood invasion.
    
    The Vida Line is also the only line to have its own exclusively spelled weapons that nobody can posses unless they kill one and steal it. The abundance of Vida blades is fairly rare.
    
    Also, a Vida parent can train and focus their own power over the years, but it may be passed on to their children, thus making the child more capable and stronger than the parent, more readily able to build their magic. While most generations become thinner, these lines become stronger, more precise.
• Social Relations
  • None known.
• Notables
  
  • Canon
    • Dominique Vida
      Adianna Vida
      Sarah Vida
  • Non-Canon
    • Danielle Vida
      Andrew Vida
      Alex Vida-Arun
      Hailee Vida-Arun
  
  Playing a Vida at Night's Omen
  
  • Vida Witches are some of the most prominent vampire hunters, and are trained from birth to hone their powers and focus on their purpose in life. They are among some of the most emotionally reserved and strictly controlled of the Witches, and are generally very good at what they do. They for the most part operate on the, "If you aren't with us, you're with them" code. This has its own advantages and disadvantages at Night's Omen, but this should not discourage potential players.
    
    It does need to be taken into consideration if you choose to play a Vida that because they are prolific vampire hunters, their numbers are somewhat thin. When hunting such a creature, it only takes one mistake. Because of this, Vida Witches are a restricted bloodline, and you must get staff permission to submit one.

[Danielle Vida]

Smoke

• History
  • Somewhere around 5000 BCE, some of the 'descendants' of Vida realized that while the purpose of the lines was to protect and defend, there were  definite reasons why simply killing wasn't going to completely keep them safe.
    Fronted by Evelyn Smoke, they focused their training more on healing, and swore that their line would use their powers only to protect and heal, rather than harm. Because of this lineage, a Smoke Witch is able to travel into places that, say, a Vida could not. One can be certain that a Smoke Witch will never turn the tables or sell themselves out, due to the nature of their beliefs.
• Traits
  • Witches from the Smoke line posses powers predominantly in healing.
• 
  Social Relations
  • As stated above, Smoke Witches are among the most highly reguarded Witches on basis of their word - their belief system simply does not allow them to intentionally harm others. They are peaceful, serene group. It would be suicide for anyone, Nyeusi or no, to harm a Smoke Witch, as it would incur the wrath of every other Macht Witch (and possibly even some other creatures, as well).

• 
  Notables
  • Canon
    • Evelyn Smoke
      Monica Smoke
      Hasana Smoke
      Caryn Smoke
  • Non-Canon
    • Matthew Smoke
      Ollie Smoke
      Sarah Smoke
      Sasha Smoke
  
  Playing a Smoke at Night's Omen
  
  • Smoke Witches are somewhat revered for their healing abilities and calm natures, and there is certainly no danger of overpopulation at current here at Night's Omen. While many of the Smoke Witches can be found associated with Single Earth, there are plenty of occupational choices you can find suitable for them. Be warned, however, that because they are not aggressive by nature or belief, they may find themselves in a spot of trouble from time to time.

[Danielle Vida]

Light

• History
  • In 3500 BCE, a Smoke witch known as Cyrinka Light was traveling in unfriendly territory when she and several of her students were taken hostage. Vida laws say you must never bargain with your enemies, and must never endanger all your people in order to protect a few - and basically, that meant that they weren't going to waste their time cutting a walkway through to Cyrinka and her students, and then catch flack for being so violent when they got there.
    
    The circumstances were as such that Cyrinka and her students decided that perhaps pacifism wasn't the best path set before them. Of course they were not trained to fight like Vidas, but they had their magic, and they forced it to work for them. Thus the Light line began, and its standpoint was simple: Try to use peaceful measures first, but don't be afraid to use force if necessary.
    
    In addition to their healing abilities, members of the Light line are also powerful pyrokinetics- firestarters. One of them is suspected as partially responsible for helping Kaei burn down Mayhem.
    
    The last of the Light line was Lila Light, who lived in Vieton (a town founded by Macht Witches during the reign of Midnight) with her husband, Peter, in the late 1600s. When Lila was killed, her husband fled with their twin children, who were never recovered by the other Macht witches.
• Traits
  • Light Witches seem to have attained the best of both worlds - they are able to heal, while also able to focus their power into fighting back. As stated above, they are also very powerful pyrokinetics.
• 
  Social Relations
  • None known.
• 
  Notables
  • Canon
    • Cyrinka Light
      Lila Light
      Mara Light
  • Non-Canon
    • Aurashka
      Michael Light
  
  Playing a Light at Night's Omen
  
  • It should be noted that both existing Light Witches were changed into vampires before the disappearance of Lila Light. These Witches are locked due to rarity. The likelyhood that any further Light Witches will be accepted are slim to none, so it is best you choose another Witch line more suited for your purpose.

[Danielle Vida]

Arun

• History
  • The Light Line was not the only group of healers that ever rebelled against the strict non-violence policy taught by Smoke Witches. In AD 430, Middy Smoke was called to heal a bloodbonded human. A great many other Witches tried to talk her out of it, but Middy refused to let the wounded woman die in her care. In the process, she infected herself and her daughter, Ardiente, slightly with the vampiric power. When the originator of the blood-bond returned to the girl, he saw the Witch there, jumped the gun, assumed she was there to kill him, and killed her first, leaving Ardiente alone.
    
    Ardiente originally attempted to join the Light witches, but it was decided that she was a little too aggressive for their system. She founded her own line, known as the Arun line, because she believed that while healing skills were important, they were best used on your allies- and fighting skills were best used on your enemies. While the Light line was primarily healers with fighting skills for self-defense, the Arun line consisted of much the opposite - skilled fighters with a grasp of healing skills.
    
    Not so long after, a child named Jade Arun, was found orphaned and picked up by a Solar Vampire named Nai, who at the time was traveling under the guise of a simple Egyptian female. She took Jade off and together they lived for many years just outside the edge of the current civilization. As Jade grew, Nai distanced herself further and further from her, so that the Arun Witch would never know that her foster mother was actually something that her line was sworn against.
    
    Silver happened upon this picnic, and since he hated both Solar Vampires and Arun Witches, he decided to break up the garden party. By now Jade was a woman and had a daughter of her own, and so he took it upon himself to snatch her kid, and told her all about her and her mother's past, and who Nai really was. Jade in the meantime managed to track down other hunters, and got the information on her own history. Once reuinited with other Macht and Arun Witches, Jade set forth to find her missing child.
    
    Their rescue effort didn't go well. In fact, not only did it not go well, it completely backfired. Silver attempted to blood-bond Jade, but that blew up in his face. The Arun line was already so tainted thanks to the power passing through generations, that Jade rejected the blood-bond. Bully for her, though - this seemed to cinch the vampiric link in the blood, and it was considerably strengthened. Way to go, Silver.
• Traits
  • Arun Witches are the uber of the Witch groups. They are faster, stronger, have better healing potency, and are totally immune to things like bloodbonds and changes. The problem is that there is still the vampiric taint in their blood, and it tends to bleed into their personalities and instincts. Many Aruns are known for having sour tempers and being quite hot-headed in this regard. Not a lot of them will openly admit it, but one one occasion or another, all of them have felt the bloodlust. They are not required to feed, and most never will or do, but there are still ways to awaken the vampiric side of them.
    
    There's a great deal of hunters who are still distrustful of the Arun line; however, both sides of their nature make them excellent hunters. An orphaned Arun Witch may also be taken in by other Macht family, because despite the history, they are still considered Witches, and are under the protection of their kin.
• Social Relations
  • None known.
• Notables
  
  • Canon
    • Jade Arun
      Elizabeth Arun
      Michael Arun
  • Non-Canon
    • Angela Arun
      Alex Vida-Arun
      Hailee Vida-Arun
  
  Playing an Arun at Night's Omen
  
  • Arun Witches have a variety of advantages and disadvantages to being brought into play here at Night's Omen. Obviously, because they are fairly potent, they would be an asset to have during any sort of situations that called for confrontation. However, because of their vampiric nature, they may still face some prejudice from others, and may still fall victim to their own bloodlust, though it is a very rare occurrence.
    
    It does need to be taken into consideration if you choose to play an Arun that because they are prolific vampire hunters, their numbers are somewhat thin. When hunting such a creature, it only takes one mistake. Because of this, Arun Witches are a restricted bloodline, and you must get staff permission to submit one.

[Danielle Vida]

Queitch

• History
  
  • The Queitch line is a single familial line. One of the Vida families began studying methods to enhance sight and knowledge. Some of them were so successful that Silver, in 1900 BCE, decided to just 'move' them all as far away from him as he could, and since he was in Europe, he deposited them into what was then Mesoamerica. They were allowed to stay with the Azteka, who respected them as other magic-users, but after a couple generations they got the boot because the ability to see the future and predict things before they happened really started to freak the Azteka out.
    
    Kahlan Queitch and her infant daughter were the two Queitch witches who were driven out, and they were the absolute last of the line. They survived for nearly twenty years on their own, but eventually Kahlan died of a snakebite, and her adult daughter, Moira, angered some humans and almost had her heart ripped from her chest. She and her new friend Fala began their trouble making there, and that is both the end and beginning of another tale altogether.
• Traits
  • Apparent prophetic ability along with the basic functions of a Vida, to be sure.
• Social Relations
  • None known.
• Notables
  
  • Canon
    • Kahlan Queitch
      Moira Queitch
  • Non-Canon
    • None. This is a closed line of Witches.
  
  Playing a Queitch at Night's Omen
  • Due to the single familial line of the Queitch ancestry, playing a Queitch Witch at Night's Omen is not allowed, and this is a closed line. Do not ask, because we will say no.

[Danielle Vida]

Marinitch

• History
  • The Marinitch line is descended from the Light line, specifically, from Mara Light, who was Lila's sister. Upon Lila's death, Mara and her lover, who was a shaman, fled. They had two sons, Eric and Raini. Raini went on to continue the line after Eric was kidnapped by Pandora, trained as a Triste, and then turned into a vampire by Kendra. Poor Eric!
  • Traits
    • The only information currently found states that the Marinitch Line is the only line in which animal power is involved - the animal depends on the individual.
  • Social Relations
    • None known.
  • Notables
    
    • Canon
      • Mara Light (Marinitch?)
        Eric Marinitch
        Raini Marinitch
    • Non-Canon
      
      • Melchior Marinitch
  
  Playing a Marinitch at Night's Omen
  • There are currently no restrictions on this line of Witch; however, as of right now there is very little information available for them, so potential players are warned that there are certain traits they may or may not exhibit. For the time being it may be a better choice to pick one of the other lines that more information is readily provided for.

[Danielle Vida]

Basic Information: Tristes

• Though they are commonly called witches, "Triste" is not one of the Macht lines. Tristes are not mortal; they are Nyeusi, descendents of Zadre through Triste herself. Despite the term "witch," they have far more in common with vampires. They do not age, and cannot spawn offspring. They also require feeding off of mortal power to sustain life. Here's where they're different: A Triste's body remains alive (more or less), and they have conscious control over the flow of immortal and mortal magics. Before being initiated, a Triste hopeful is extensively trained in the manipulation of their own power (mortal and immortal), and the powers of those around them.
  
  A Triste has very fine control over their own body, to the extent that they can consciously control their heartbeat and body temperature, and even the electrical impulses of their nerves. When injured, their body will normally heal at a human rate, but with concentration they can accelerate that healing past what even a vampire is capable of.
  
  The aforementioned ability to manipulate auras is the most crucial skill a Triste learns. By either fanning an aura beyond its normal weight, or draining power from it, a Triste can affect someone's physical health, state of mind, thought patterns, or emotional intensity. Altering the exact shape and flow of an individual aura can heal physical wounds, or change lust to hate or fear to physical pain. A tiny thread of power can calm a heart attack, or even cause one.
  
  This is the same manipulation that allows a Triste to feed. Unlike vampires, Tristes don't need to physically take blood into their bodies to gain the mortal power from it. Tristes that are powerful enough don't even really need to touch their prey, though skin to skin contact can make feeding easier. Aligning two power centers (See: The Decigram for more information on power centers and auras) is the most effective method.
• Notables
  • Canon
    • Tatiana
      Pandora
      Jesse Fontes
      Dinah Alina
      Alexander Weatere
      Christian Denmark
      Adjila
      Ramsey
      Eric Marinitch
      Rikai
  • Non-Canon
    • Ash Leone
  
  Playing a Triste at Night's Omen
  • Due to the nature of such a character, they are highly restricted, and potential players must contact Ash Leone before submitting any sort of biographical information.

[Danielle Vida]

Training and Initiation

• Unlike vampires and shifters, a human can't be changed into a Triste without at least some level of consent and participation. The change itself is very physically strenuous, and sometimes deadly, and someone without intense training in physical and magical self-control will not survive it. Even if they were to survive, they would not be able to feed in order to sustain their own bodies.
  
  Many students are chosen because they already exhibit some talents. Human psychics and witches, shapeshifters and sometimes Macht Witches (trained and untrained) are often candidates. More important than latent ability, however, are a sharp mind, rigid self control, and a good deal of physical endurance.
  
  The actual method of instruction varies from teacher to teacher. Some are less abrasive than others. A more strenuous, pitiless education is more likely to produce a stronger Triste, but it is also more likely to trigger insanity, aneurysms or spontaneous heart failure. Depending on the methods of the teacher and the ability for the student to understand and complete, training may take anywhere from six months to several decades. A longer period of time increases the likelihood that the student will survive training, but like vampires, there is a relatively narrow window of time - late teens, early twenties - when the body is most vulnerable to invasion by the parasitic, immortal power, so a student who survives three decades of training may be too old to survive initiation.
  
  Only after a student has mastered the necessary skills can the initiation - a massive transfer of power between the student and the teacher, enabled by some kind of blood ritual - take place. Again, different teachers have different rituals, some with higher or lower fatality rates, and prone to produce more or less powerful results.
  
  Due to the commitment of time and power, most teachers guard their students well, and are quick to retaliate against anyone who threatens them. However, since successful training is rare and even some who survive initiation do not live through the first couple years, Tristes in general are uncommon in Nyeusigrube, with only a couple dozen known to exist.

[Danielle Vida]

The Decigram

• The symbol of power used by most Tristes is the decigram- a ten pointed star. This symbol represents the ten senses, ten power centers, and ten auras, which are the basis of Triste magic. Students study to master each sense, each power center, and each aura.
• Power Centers
  • Power centers are the areas of the body where it is easiest to penetrate someone's aura (including one's own) in order to manipulate that person's personal power/magic. The five power centers most commonly worked with by Tristes are in the palms of the hands, between the brows (the third eye), at the throat, and over the heart. Others are located in a straight line down the body. These power centers, or Chakras, are not only valuable to Tristes; many other magic-users, including some Macht witches, also utilize these hot-spots.
• Ten Senses
  • The ten senses are defined slightly differently by individual teachers, but in general they are Sight, Hearing, Touch, Taste and Smell (those five, I'm sure you know), Life (the ability to sense the base power of other living creatures), Mind (telepathy, mind-reading and influence), Farsight (the ability to see beyond the current location), Foresight (a rarer skill, the ability to see before or after the current time), and Aura (the most crucial of Triste abilities, the ability to read the currents of power given off by a living creature).
• Auras
  • Auras are the layers of power that encircle a healthy, living creature. Different layers echo different physical, mental and emotional states, so affecting those auras will affect those states.
  • Corporal
    • The Corporal Aura is what most of us consider the physical body. Tristes consider this physical form just a manifestation of mortal power; manipulating it is what allows them to heal (or harm) themselves or others.
  • Elemental
    • The Elemental Aura rests just beyond the skin, and can be considered the "potential" aura. This is very weak in most creatures, but stronger in shapeshifters of all types, as this is where the additional forms are "stored." Triggering this aura can force a creature to shapeshift, while suppressing it will make it impossible for them to do so.
  • Life
    • The Life Aura extends perhaps a foot beyond the body, and is what most psychics manage to see. It is highly reflective of the varying powers a person has, and their life experiences and personality, almost like a psychic fingerprint. Manipulating it in others doesn't make much of a difference, but a Triste's ability to alter this aura on themselves is what allows them to masquerade as other breeds without detection from vampires or witches who are capable of reading auras.
  • Extension of Life/Power
    • The next aura, which some teachers would call an extension of Life, is usually referred to as Power. If the individual has psychic ability, this aura will be stronger. If it is too strong, and overwhelms the surrounding auras, the individual may drown in his or her own power - psychics who cannot turn off visions, for example. Obviously, this aura is stronger in creatures like vampires, as well. When vampires throw power at each other in order to fight, this is what they're tossing around.
  • Health
    • The Health aura hovers about two feet off the skin, and acts very much like a protective shell. While this aura is strong, it is difficult for others to manipulate any of the auras within it. The Health aura, however, deteriorates rapidly in the face of exhaustion, starvation, dehydration, illness, or other physically damaging states.
  • Emotion and Mind
    • Just beyond is the primary auras of Emotion and Mind. These auras are rarely of equal strength, and in some people one may be significantly stronger than the other, but once they have reached their balance (whatever that is), tampering with them can be devastating. People with powerful Emotion auras tend to be empathic, while people with powerful Mind auras tend to be more intuitive. Tossing power into someone's Emotion aura (or deadening the Mind aura) will make them frazzled, obsessive, prone to panic attacks and temper tantrums, and completely unable to concentrate or problem solve. Dampening the Emotion aura (or overworking the Mind aura) will leave someone unable to form or recognize emotional attachments, while their mind works at a frantic pace, unable to rest or come to a conclusion.
  • Red, White, and Black
    • The last three auras are referred to as the Red, White and Black auras. These are the auras that reach out the furthest, and when strong, can actually be sensed even by untrained humans. The Red aura reflects intense, obsessive emotion - lust, need, hate. The White aura is more tranquil - love, peace, acceptance. The Black aura reaches out the furthest, and strengthens in the face of fear and pain.
      
      If you have ever walked through a hospice or funeral home, and come away feeling like the air clung to you and made you heavy, you walked through the stains of others' Black auras. If you have ever been in the presence of a powerful spiritual leader, or walked through a church, and felt calmed just by being there, then you were affected by a lingering White aura. Felt uncomfortable just being in the presence of newly-weds (even if all they're doing is looking at each other), or sitting between two angry people (even if they aren't shouting)? That's the Red aura.

[Danielle Vida]

Triste Weapons

• As it has been mentioned in the works of Ahar, Triste blood is very poisonous to vampires. In other works, firestone was introduced- a creation of Triste witches - also poisonous. The connection here lies in the fact that they are both containers for Triste power, and that power feeds mercilessly on any other power it comes into contact with. The more similiarities the two powers share, the easier it is for the Triste to feast on it.
• Firestone
  • Firestone is a concentration of Triste power that has been put into glass or crystal. It is generally a transluscent red in colour with veins of gold, though the more golden it appears, the more potent it is. More often than not it is most effectively formed into some fashion of a blade, although it has also been seen woven into rope, wire, and jewelry (more than one Witch at NO has jewelry containing Firestone). The only time it can be damaged, broken or altered is by another Triste, or perhaps by a higher level Nyeusi.
  • Red
    • Red is the weakest form, and it can limit a vampire's ability to heal and weaken them. While it is not as poisonous to other Nyeusi, it can definitely create a wound that will scar on both Macht Witches and shifters alike. Contrary, however, to this, concerning humans the firestone will react exactly the opposite - wounds caused by it will heal faster.
  • Gold
    • Gold, or Pure Firestone, is fatal the moment it comes into contact with vampire blood. Smaller wounds on both shifters and Macht Witches can become incapacitating, and bigger wounds will heal much more slowly than they would from a standard blade. Because of this, wounds that would not have been fatal by normal means may become as such. Gold firestone is so potent that it is also unhealthy to humans.
  • While these are the two main levels of firestone, there are many variations in between with varying degrees of potency. Firestone is a very hot commodity in the Nyeusi world, because there are very few Tristes who can weave it, let alone any who can form the golden variety. If they are able to, it is a very taxing process on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels. For these reasons and more, it is a rarity and can fetch very high prices among Nyeusi clientele.
    
    Jeshickah is very well known for using firestone; she had it woven into the poppers of her whips, as well as throughout the ropes that she often uses. It is effective for containing vampires, Witches and shifters alike, but the bonus is that when working with humans, it also sees that they heal faster to prevent them from dying. When woven into said ropes or chains, this precious weapon can make even the strongest vampire unable to transport themselves to safety. Good call, Jesh!
    
    There are other less involved uses for firestone these days, such as to aid in the workings of 'spells'.  One case dictates a necklace that was given to a Triste's cheating lover's mistress, whom the man later married. It drained all of the woman's energy and emotions from her, leaving her without any sort of passion or willingness to live, and she subsequently killed herself.
• Triste Blood
  • Triste blood is identical in every way to human blood, BUT, the elemental power that is bound to the blood goes right along with it, and when a vampire decides to snack on a Triste, he or she will get a good dose of that, too. This is how it gives the poisoning effect, which can lead to great incapacitation, and even death, depending on the situation. With their blood in the veins of the vampire, a Triste can 'feed back', ravaging them of raw power before they can retaliate, and far faster than any vampire would physically be able to bleed them out.
    
    It is possible, however unlikely it may be, for a strong Triste to restrain his magic and allow a vampire to feed without being poisoned. If the Triste is willing, he can even allow just enough magic into his blood to make it a powerful or even drugging meal. Most vampires would never trust a Triste to do this, of course, and most Tristes would not trust a vampire at their throat for that long without exercising some kind of magical control over them. After all, a vampire is still strong enough, and fast enough, that at that proximity they could break a Triste's neck before he could fight back.